Wound healing in guinea pigs after topical application of starfish Pentaceraster regulus extract.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the healing efficacy of Pentaceraster regulus (starfish) aqueous-methanol extract on cutaneous wounds in guinea pigs.


METHODS
Freshly collected starfish were washed with distilled water and soaked in methanol for transportation. After filtering, soaking and concentration, the extract was fractionated into chloroform soluble (5g), 50% aqueous-methanol soluble (20g) and insoluble fractions (25g). Primary screening demonstrated moderate wound-healing activity in male Swiss-strain guinea pigs, so further fractionation into chloroform, 50% aqueous-methanol and insoluble fractions was undertaken.Wound-healing activity was concentrated only in the aqueous-methanol fraction, so this was used for the study. Animals received either 1% aqueous-methanol extract, the vehicle alone or 5% providone-iodine. The following were measured: wound area,wound tensile strength, DNA, total protein and hydroxyproline levels in excised granulation tissue. Histological changes were observed under microscope.


RESULTS
Extract-treated wounds healed faster, indicated by a significant contraction in wound area (42%). Cellular proliferation and collagen synthesis at the wound site increased, demonstrated by increase in DNA (33%), protein (29%) and hydroxyproline (37%) content when compared with the controls and povidone-iodine-treated animals (standard care). These findings were confirmed by histological examination. Proper folding of collagen was demonstrated by a significant increase in tensile strength (34%).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the aqueous-methanol extract of starfish P. regulus promotes wound-healing activity.
Gupta
A
A
Division of Pharmacology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
Lakshmi
V
V
Jain
G K
GK
Raghubir
R
R
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries; D013215:Starfish; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D014020:Tissue Extracts